Ed listened to the gentle patter of Sofie's feet on the carpet as she set about unpacking her things. Her steps were careful, measured, like those of a court lady in the Imperial dance hall. The quiet grace of her movements entranced his ears, and even with his eyes closed, he could tell she was beautiful.

What could have made such a lovely woman so fearful?

He'd been reluctant to think about it, but there was no mistaking her pale skin and golden hair. She lacked the stocky build or shaded complexion of his kin. It was still possible she was Crescent-born, but it was more likely she was an immigrant. The Zeranians were known for their delicate beauty, and she would have fit right in with them, but theirs was a generally peaceful (if decadent) society. There would be no call for such wariness as Sofie exhibited. The only other nation who could have produced such a person was the one place no human should ever have to call home.

Ed opened his eyes and looked up at her. His heart squeezed in pain at the idea that anyone could ever think to harm her. Who could raise a hand to her soft, delicate cheek? This was a girl who, just moments ago, cried because she almost stabbed someone who did her no harm. What monster would hurl abuse at such a purehearted girl? Whatever darkness lay in her heart, Ed was sure it was through no fault of her own. Whoever made her life hell would pay. He would make sure of it.

But first, he had to get to know her better.

"Do your parents still run that bakery?" he asked quietly. If his guess at her origin was accurate, there was no guarantee that her parents were still alive. His question would draw that out.

"Do your parents still run that bakery?"
Sofie thought hard of what her answer should be, she would keep close to the truth so any far out lie wasn't evident.
"Uhm...just my dad."
The thought of her dad rolling dough and making cakes was enough to illicit a small laugh from her which she tried to quickly cover up. Her poker face skills still needed training.

She rummaged around in her small suitcase, bringing out a small pile of folded clothes which she deposited into the small dresser near the bathroom. A picture of her and Moglet (where his face was covered with large, funky sunglasses and a hood) went on the nightstand and a couple of books were placed on the desk. That was it. That was all she had. Oh, and a pair of trainers which she laid carefully next to the door. What would Ed think now?

Suddenly, as she watched a stone hit the dorm room window, then another.
"What is going on?" She questioned, turning to look at Ed.

"Um...just my dad," was all she said.
Still, it was revealing. As I thought. She lost one of her parents. Poor girl.
"I'm sorry to hear that."

He watched her place a picture on the nightstand. In it, she stood beside a boy, whose features were disguised by a hood and sunglasses. "May I ask who this is?" he inquired.

Just then, a stone hit the window. Ed glanced back.
"What is going on?" Sofie asked aloud.
Ed wandered over to the window and scanned the area.

Sofie followed him over to the window and looked down.
A man dressed in a suit and a mask was staring back at them, a fistful of rocks still in his hands.
"Who in the stars are you?" Sofie said as she opened the window and leaned out.
"WHAT?" He yelled back up at her, nasally voice sounding through the air.

Sofie put a hand up to her forehead and sighed.
"WHO ARE YOU?" She yelled, instantly blushing. She hated raising her voice, it was a useless thing to do.
"OH ME?" He gestured to himself wildly, letting the rocks tumble back down to the ground.
"YES, YOU!" Her throat was starting to get scratchy. She wasn't used to so much talking. In fact, she hadn't talked this much in a day for her whole year.
"COME ON DOWN! I'LL TELL YOU!" The man laughed as Sofie stared on, raising her eyebrows slightly. The man was probably drunk, right? Or was this some sort of hazing? She closed the window and gathered her coat, which conveniently still held her knife. She didn't think he was one of them...but she still should take some safety measures.

"Should we go?" She asked Ed.

"Who in the stars are you?" Sofie asked.
"WHAT?" the man yelled back.
Sofie reddened, building courage to shout louder, "WHO ARE YOU?"
The man stepped back and chuckled. "OH, ME?"
"YES, YOU!"
"COME ON DOWN AND I'LL TELL YOU!"
As the man laughed again, Ed drew a gasp.

"No way."

Ed charged out the door and raced down the stairs.

"No. Freaking. Way."

He ploughed through the door and flung himself into the man's welcoming arms.

"DAD!"

Ed buried his face in the older gentleman's trench coat as a pair of lean, powerful arms embraced him. Who else could have pinpointed the one dorm out of hundreds where he was staying, at exactly the right time he was staying in it?

"I thought you'd be gone for another week?" Ed asked.

Fenix chuckled. "If that were the only surprise I had in store for you, I'd have just called." He took Ed by the shoulder and walked with him back toward the dorms. "The martial arts instructor took ill, you see."

He raised an eyebrow.

Ed gasped, and began to laugh. "You're kidding. You're going to be our substitute martial arts instructor?"

Fenix nodded, smirking.

Ed did a fist-pump. "Best. Semester. Ever. Oh! I have to introduce you to my roommate. You gotta tell me what you think of her."

"Her?"

"Y-Yeah." Ed scratched the back of his head and made a nervous chuckle. "I swear I had no idea she'd be my roommate. Totally not my intention! You see-"

But Fenix was no longer listening - he was busy sizing up the woman his son would spend the next four years with. Beautiful, poised, and alert, she carried herself like a lady of some refinement, not like the borish creatures polluting the average school. Her attire was a bit understated, but not at all unfasionable, and brought out her best features in attractive ways. There was a slight air of caution about her, as if the sublime peace wrought in this city hadn't quite sunk in yet. It would serve her well.

He nodded his approval, and reached out to shake her hand. "I am Fenix Valentine, substitute Martial Arts instructor here at Purcell and father of Edward Valentine. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss. Your name, if I may?"

Sofie followed Ed as he rushed downstairs, confusion painted on her face.

"DAD!"
Oh.

Sofie looked closely at the man standing before her. He cleaned up pretty nice, with crisp corners and a handsome face. And when he smiled...Sofie frowned. It looked genuine. But what would Sofie know about genuine? She hadn't faced it one day of her life.



"Where is it? WHERE'S THE MONEY?" The man in front of her slammed his fist into the table, beer slopping onto it's surface.
"I couldn't do it." Sofie looked down at the floor, at dirty flip flops and bloodied toes.
"How hard is it to do THIS?" Her father snatched the kitchen knife from it's place on the counter and buried it in the table, barely missing Sofie's fingers as she moved her hand away. She clutched her sides, feeling a shake wind it's way up through her body.
"You're USELESS." He pushed her and Sofie felt brick beneath her fingers.
"I worked so hard to get you the task and you FUCK IT UP!" Her father's face loomed in front of her, his crackled lips, greasy face and bloodshot eyes staring her down.
"I'm sorry...I just...need help." Sofie let herself grab the kitchen knife, hiding it behind her back.
"You need help?" Her father instantly became quiet. He loved it when people needed help from him. He sat back down at the table and Sofie let out a soft sigh, moving to stand a few paces before him, near the door.
"Yes. I messed up. I need your help." The words forced their way through her mouth.
"Well, first of all you let the anger take control...



Sofie realised that her fingernails were biting into her palms and unclenched her fists, just in time to shake Fenix's hand.
"I am Fenix Valentine, substitute Martial Arts instructor here at Purcell and father of Edward Valentine. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss. Your name, if I may?"
"It is a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Valentine. My name is Sofie Heichenback, I look forwards to meeting you in Martial Arts!" Sofie let herself smile, giving his hand a soft shake. Afterwards, she shrunk back a little and adjusted her sweater uncomfortably. Her hands felt dirty all of a sudden, shamed and guilty.

"It is a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Valentine. My name is Sofie Heichenback. I look forward to meeting you in Martial Arts!" Sofie shook his hand and smiled. The smile did not reach her eyes. She shrank back and adjusted her sweater.

"Same here! I shall strive to earn your...what's the word...looking-forward-ness? High regard! That's the term I was looking for. I shall strive to earn your high regard. Just getting here was interesting! Traffic was backed up a little ways along the I-9, so I took a shortcut, only to find traffic packed there too. Mostly college students, I later found. I understand you took a taxi, Ed?"

"Yeah. The driver was pretty quiet. Thankfully."

"Ha ha! I know what you mean. They're a chatty bunch around these parts. They just. Don't. Shut. Up! 'Where ya goin?' 'What's in the bag?' 'Like some music?' Seriously, just drive, man. If I want to talk, I'll talk. I know, they're trying to give good customer service, and I don't fault them for it. They just have to be more aware, you know? Don't be like those taxi drivers, Ed!"

"Yessir!" Ed saluted, grinning from ear to ear.

Fenix slapped him on the back. "That's the spirit. Where you guys headed, kiddo?"

Ed scratched his head. "Well, we initially came down here to greet you, but while we're out here, I'm thinking we should join the orientation and meet our classmates."

"Great idea. Is that it?" Fenix pointed to the gathering crowd by the main entrance.

"Probably! Come on, Sofie!"

Sofie noticed the way that Ed talked to his father. He absolutely adored the man and that made her a bit sick. Did she see pure unadulterated deceit in Fenix's eyes...or was she exaggerating that? One day, Fenix would ask Ed to push himself. And Ed would do it, she was sure. And finally he'd regret it in the end...just like she did.

She was jolted out of her thinking by Ed's call
"Come on, Sofie!"
She smiled one last time to Fenix "It was nice to meet you sir." before she waved and followed Ed.

They joined the throng of people by the building and entered into a wide room, scattered throughout with beanbags and sleek white couches. Sofie took a seat on the couch, uncomfortably shunted to one end with the barrage of students finding a seat.
"Hey there, my name is Taylor...I really like that sweater, by the way!" The girl next to Sofie turned to her, unleashing her stream of words. Sofie jumped in her seat and clammed up. What was she supposed to say?

God, making friends was by the far the worst.

"Hey there, my name is Taylor! I really like that sweater, by the way." Taylor rattled on and on with Sofie, and from the way Sofie shrank in her seat and closed her posture, she wanted to be left alone. Ed smiled a little. That girl could use a few friends He turned to the kid sitting beside him - none other than Somerset Bergson himself. He'd know that ugly mug anywhere. Ed glanced back at Sofie.

I stand corrected. I know how you feel now.

The chatter died down as the professor walked into the room. His gait was stiff and unrefined, as if his limbs were part robot. He stopped at the head of the classroom and folded his arms.

"Good morning, everyone! I'm Gregory Bahnsen, retired merchant from a guild called the Azure Armada. You may have heard of us; we fought in a few key battles of the Revolution. But we're still traders at heart, and for this semester, I'll be sharing the tricks of the trade with you all. Let's start off with a game."

He handed out blank cards to every student. "On your card, write your name and three facts about yourself. One of those facts will be a lie, and the first person to guess correctly gets to go next. No repeaters, please. The goal of this exercise is threefold: to begin the process of making business connections, to break the ice and get comfortable learning things in the classroom, and of course to give me an excuse to learn everyone's names. Once we've gone around the whole room, I'll take everyone to a very special place. It's gonna be a blast!"

"I shall begin. My name, as I've mentioned, is Gregory Bahnsen. I fought in the Revolution, I have a pet A.I. named Opal, and all my limbs are artificial. Which fact is the lie?""

A towering girl with dark hair raised her hand. "The lie is that your arms are artifical."

"Incorrect!"

Then a boy dressed in a gray suit and tie raised his hand. "You fought in the Revolution?"

Gregory nodded and smirked. "I lost all four limbs in an unfortunate encounter and got them all replace. Frankly, I like them better than my fleshy arms anyway. The lie is that I fought in the Revolution. I worked behind the lines as a cargo hauler, moving supplies and munitions around. That's not to say I didn't get myself in trouble, though; I had numerous scrapes and close calls with enemy privateers. Fun times. And I do, in fact, have a pet A.I. named Opal, but don't tell her I called her a "pet." She's kind of sensitive about that. All the ships of the Azure Armada, barring a couple, have a sentient A.I. build into them from the ground up, and Opal's mine."

He pointed to the dressed-up kid again. "Your turn now. Tell us about yourself!"

The kid adjusted his suit and coughed. "Mah name is Kish. Kish Warburton. Don'tchu ever kid around 'bout that neither, or I'mma 'kish' yo ass goodbye. I grew up in the suburbs. Nice place, always teemin' wit pretty ladies and ripped dudes. Got myself certified in law when I was fifteen an' never look back. Funny thing is, I also had some run-ins with the law, and got booked with the local police cuz I's lookin' all swag at a birthday party. Guess which one's the lie, folks?"

Ed raised his hand. "I bet the lie is that you had any run-ins with the law."

Kish chuckled. "Hey, you good, man! That's a true lie right there, yo. I never had any run-ins with the law, see. My parents said they were profiled as criminals back on Earth, so when they came here, they wanted me to be real good so's not to cause trouble, so they raised me good. My neighborhood was great 'cause all the vets live there. It was awesome. It's also true I gotta law certificate. Don't wanna brag or anything, but I gotta thing for rules. Ain't failed me yet."

Since it was Ed's turn now, he stood up, making sure to commit Kish to memory. "I'm Edward Valentine. You may call me Ed. First fact: I'm fluent in sign language. Second fact: I'm going to become Emperor of the Galaxy someday. Third fact: I'm filthy rich. Which is the lie?"

The tall girl raised her hand before anyone else. "Emperor? Seriously?"

Ed grinned. "Guess it's your turn now! Yes, I'm fluent in sign language. As for the wealth I've amassed, I'll tell you exactly what I'm worth in sign language."

He pinched his index and thumb and stretched them out.

"What's that the sign for? A million?"

Ed continued grinning. "Not telling."

The game proceeded around the room until it was Sofie's turn.

Sofie watched on as the others went, slightly flinching as she heard Ed say his facts. He knew he was a privileged kid, and he owned it. Sometimes, she came to hate people like that and other times she felt guilt for her victims in the past.

"As for the wealth I've amassed, I'll tell you exactly what I'm worth in sign language."
She looked on closely as he spread out his index and thumb. 900. He was worth 900. He had money around 100 times of what she had, and the chances and opportunities that she had never gotten. Sofie looked in on awe until it was her turn.
She'd already thought through her plan. She would list a bunch of close truths.
"My parents own a bakery, I knitted this sweater and...um...I'm a ninja?" She gave a nervous laugh.
"Those are so lame. You're obviously not a ninja" The tall girl rolled her eyes as the people around her twittered with laughter. Sofie blushed and sunk down further into her seat. Who knew high school students could have such a large effect on her?

She listened as the others went on, sneakily looking at Ed using the corner of her eye. He was like the majority of her victims, actually. Same wealth, same dignified stance, same clothes. If she hadn't stopped one day she might've actually had to kill him too.

"Those are so lame. You're obviously not a ninja," the tall girl chided.
Ed guffawed. "I don't know about obviously. If she were a ninja, you'd never know. That's kind of the point, isn't it?" He winked at Sofie, remembering that only an hour ago, she'd tried to kill him with a knife. For all he knew, she was a ninja. But if so, then what was the lie? It couldn't have been the bakery - she'd confessed to him earlier that they owned one.

While he mulled over it, the instructor clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay, class! Fun game, fun game. So, normally we'd spend our time in the classroom, but for this semester, I made a strategic acquisition - we'll be studying aboard a starship! Follow me to the launchpad."

Ed took this opportunity to get closer to Sofie again. As the students filed out of the classroom behind the professor, Ed grinned at Sofie and remarked, "Best morning ever, am I right?"

Professor Gregory Bahnsen explained the fundamentals of starship operation, couching his explanations of the controls in pictures of what they do. The class spent hours playing with buttons and switches on the simulators to see how they affected a ship. Then, after lunch, they shuffled off to a math class where they were introduced to differential calculus. They would come to use this material in their subsequent class, physics, where they learned how to calculate basic starship trajectories.

That evening, they returned to the dorms exhausted. Ed did his nightly routine - remove the outer layers of clothing (leaving behind his T-shirt and pants), take care of oral hygiene, do his daily devotions, and get to bed. Ed let Sofie take the bottom bunk, since it required less effort to get into and offered more security. As he lay in bed looking up at the ceiling, his thoughts drifted to Sofie again. He wanted to talk to her, get to know her better. But what to say? She was a tight-lipped individual, the kind of person who doubtless saw interpersonal interaction as tedious. Truth be told, he didn't blame her. Interaction was exhausting. But at the same time, it was pivotal to becoming a good trader, and it was an area she was weak in. This brief window of time when they were alone was a rare opportunity to engage her.

"Hey, Sofie..." he began quietly, "I've been meaning to talk with you about something. During that 'Two Truths and a Lie' game, I implied that my becoming Emperor was a lie and my being wealthy was the truth. Actually, the reverse is true. Everything I possess was given to me by my parents. I have nothing to call my own, not a penny to my name that I earned with my own two hands. Part of the reason I joined this course was so I could learn how to support myself. But it's not the only, or even primary, reason for my being here. The primary reason is because I aim to become Emperor of the galaxy someday. I need to go out there and see my future subjects, and learn who they are, what pleases them, what they struggle with, what challenges they face. I need to see the galaxy. Being a star trader lets me do that at my own pace."

He clenched his fist. "When I was younger, as part of my history lessons, I learned a little about the other people we share this galaxy with. The Terran people suffer under the thumb of tyrannical overlords, with no freedoms, little food, and no future. The Zeranian people live in decadence, suffering in their own way under the weight of their own cultural corruption. The Confederates have to deal every day with rampant lawlessness and piracy. But here? We Crescents enjoy a prosperity not seen in centuries. Our justice system is solid. Our military is strong. Our moral compass is calibrated. The people of the galaxy are crying out in pain, and we have the means to help them. That's why I want to become Emperor."

"What I'm getting at is, I'm serious about becoming a star trader. If I want to rise to the top of the galaxy, I have to first show that I can rise to the top of my class. What I'd like to know is how serious you are about being a star trader. A big part of being a trader is connecting with people, and it looks like you're having a lot of trouble with that. I was thinking maybe you could...you know...practice with me. If you're serious about this path."

Sofie dragged through the rest of the day, absorbing as much as possible yet feeling shaken from the feeling that everything had changed for her. She hadn't felt it at first when she'd arrived but now that she did it hit her hard. All she could offer that afternoon were stiff smiles and nods on the outside. Inside, she desperately wanted to go home. But what home did she have left?

As Ed went about doing his nightly routine Sofie folded and refolded the same coat over and over again, worrying about this huge change in her life. Was she doing the right thing? Should she just run back home and get used to life there again? Sofie huffed out a sigh and gave herself a light slap on the forehead. What was she thinking? She couldn't go back. No matter what. As Ed came out of the bathroom she went in, holding a threadbare shirt and yoga pants in her hands. Her fingers kept moving to the top of the pile, expecting to feel the weapons belt there but she knew she couldn't have brought it here. She had slept with that belt on every night at home and yearned for the safe feeling it gave her but bringing it here would certify Ed's suspicions and she didn't want to seem more out of place than she already was feeling.

Sofie finished her shower, brushed her teeth and hopped into bed noticing Ed doing his daily devotions. So he believed then. She had nothing against those who believed, it was their life after all but as for herself, she couldn't afford to believe in anything. Everything had let her down in the end and what was to say that God wouldn't do the same? No, believing was hoping and she had destroyed almost all hope her in a life a while back.
Her eyes were just drifting closed when she heard Ed.

"Hey, Sofie...I've been meaning to talk with you about something. During that 'Two Truths and a Lie' game, I implied that my becoming Emperor was a lie and my being wealthy was the truth. Actually, the reverse is true. Everything I possess was given to me by my parents. I have nothing to call my own, not a penny to my name that I earned with my own two hands. Part of the reason I joined this course was so I could learn how to support myself. But it's not the only, or even primary, reason for my being here. The primary reason is because I aim to become Emperor of the galaxy someday. I need to go out there and see my future subjects, and learn who they are, what pleases them, what they struggle with, what challenges they face. I need to see the galaxy. Being a star trader lets me do that at my own pace."

Sofie looked up at the bare underbed of the mattress above her and blinked. It was surprising how soft and elegant spoken these folk were. She knew that words coming from their mouths usually contained lies but she couldn't detect a trace of it in Ed's. She let out a murmur of sound to let him know she was listening, turning on the bed and pulling her thin blanket up to her chin.

"When I was younger, as part of my history lessons, I learned a little about the other people we share this galaxy with. The Terran people suffer under the thumb of tyrannical overlords, with no freedoms, little food, and no future. The Zeranian people live in decadence, suffering in their own way under the weight of their own cultural corruption. The Confederates have to deal every day with rampant lawlessness and piracy. But here? We Crescents enjoy a prosperity not seen in centuries. Our justice system is solid. Our military is strong. Our moral compass is calibrated. The people of the galaxy are crying out in pain, and we have the means to help them. That's why I want to become Emperor."

He was right with his analysis of the galaxy. But she doubted he would serve any good as an emperor. No matter how prosperous the Crescent people were they couldn't solve the problems in Zerania, Terran or the Confederation. It was simply fact. If they were living happily then why sacrifice that to help? No one helped each other nowadays. Ed was simply just a sheltered boy who had never seen the struggle and rightful selfishness people held towards themselves. He had never seen what people were willing to do for money, for power. Sofie believed that the people were't calling out in pain but more in rebellion, there was no one to rescue them so they had to do it themselves. One day, if Ed made it to Emperor he would be overruled, wrecked, ruined by his belief in good, in doing good. Her lips parted against her will and she spoke as he talked of something else

"Don't try to help Edward. We are undeserving of it."

She clenched her fists. She shouldn't have said that.

"Don't try to help, Edward. We are not deserving of it."

That was all she said.

Ed stared at the ceiling.

"Yeah."

He could think of no justification for helping people. They certainly didn't deserve his help in any sense of the word; if they did, any assistance rendered would merely be their due wages. By that measure, nobody deserved help. Even the poor beggar thrown to the street by bad luck didn't deserve help. He could not accept that. Perhaps the profit came on the giver's end, not the receiver's; after all, do not people feel better after having given generously? Does not a well-spent gift earn allies in the battle for life? But then, what does it profit a man to give in secret, so that the recipient knows not the giver? There was no answer to that.

"I guess you're right."

He turned under the covers.

Ed still couldn't accept that answer, though. The truth seemed so obvious, just on the tip of his tongue, yet so distant, that when it finally came to him, he felt a genuine sense of relief.

"It's their life," he concluded. "Their circumstances are their responsibility. And my circumstances are my responsibility. This is my life, and I have the freedom to choose how I shall spend it. I choose to help. That is all."

He closed his eyes and smiled.

"You spoke my name for the first time. I'm glad."

Sleep well, Sofie.

Sofie listened as he talked. He did seem to have a good grasp of sensibility. Only a sensible, responsible person could go back on their words and what they believed in to say aloud their wrong thoughts. He was a smart man. But he had gotten her meaning wrong. People did deserve help. She believed her father deserved it and so did the people in her father's circle. Even though they had things no person could forgive, she had the soft view that every human being on earth should have something good done to them. At least she wanted to have it done to her. Sofie scoffed, self pity had seeded itself in her soul. It was not a good thing.

"You spoke my name for the first time. I'm glad."

Sofie smiled, the tiniest bit. She liked the sound of his name.



She woke up on time at 6am. Sofie rolled over in her bed and tossed the blanket she had on off of her. A murmur disturbed her feet's descent to the ground and she got onto her tippy toes to look at the top bunk where Ed had slung an arm lazily across his forehead, messing up his shiny black hair. He was sleep talking, but she couldn't understand what he was saying. She could see he was shivering though and lifted her blanket from her bed, draping it over his expanding chest. The act surprised her. She was rarely this considerate. Something must've gotten into her from their talk the night before. She closed her eyes for a moment to still herself before she grabbed the clothes on the dresser and hopped into the bathroom.

Ed did not fail to notice Sofie's kindness when he woke up that morning. While he didn't mention it to her, ever since that day, the two worked together on friendlier terms. Ed wanted to learn more about her, but more often than not, homework got in the way, as did the chronic sleeplessness. They settled on a daily routine - Sofie made breakfast since she got up early, and Ed made dinner since he got back early. Homework they did together, and their instructors always complimented them on their quality and timeliness. When the externship began, Ed and Sofie were the first ones selected for starship duty.

Their first assignment was at the helm aboard the Raving Maiden. The transport's former helmsmen were arrested for Piloting Under the Influence, and their captain, Richard Darcy, was strapped for cash and couldn't hire an experienced crew.

"So we're slaves, in other words," Ed clarified, crossing his arms.
Darcy shrugged and slipped his hands in his pockets. "I prefer to think of it as a non-monetary exchange, barter, if you will. You get free helm experience, I get free helmsmen. Win-win! Come on, it's a sweet deal."

Ed gave him The Look, and held it for a few seconds before allowing himself to smirk. "Aww, okay, I won't push it. Deal." They shook hands and made to board the Raving Maiden. Unlike starships in other nations, where function took priority over form, Crescent manufacturing processes were so advanced that both form and function were attended to in equal measure. Thus, even a lowly vessel like this one looked more like luxury liners or battleships. The Raving Maiden was highly modified, with very little of her original baby-blue colors left on the hull, revealing the natural muted ebony of her semi-organic construction.

"Arrowhead on the base of a teardrop. That's what she looks like," Ed concluded aloud. "I've seen pictures of the type on the internet, bt never seen it up close. She's a beautiful ship."
Darcy gave him a laugh and a playful slap upside the head. "Don't suck up to me, boy. Go read the manual. It's over there in the glove box, under the copilot's console."

He turned to Sofie and sized her up. "Well well, what do we have here? Honestly, girl, you look like you could kill a man a thousand different ways with your bare hands. You gonna be okay?"

Sofie took a look up at the Raving Maiden. If everything she had done so far had lead to this, this alone was worth it. The ship was old of course and probably looked less than average to people like Ed but to her this was what she was dreaming of. Travelling the galaxy, looking at the stars and feeling completely free, fully in charge of her life. She could land anywhere, do anything she wanted. Sofie sighed wistfully, startling when she heard Ed's voice.

"Kill a man a thousand different ways with your bare hands" Sofie jumped, her eyes darting back and forth before she realized that she had caught the tail end of a sentence.
"I what? I'm sorry I didn't hear what you said." Sofie dragged the corners of her lips up into an apologetic smile, her left hand squeezing her right arm tightly.
A heat ran up the outside of her thighs and the side of her stomach, a small fire of lines where her scars still lay faintly on her skin. She was beyond nervous, her breath coming out in small silent puffs.

"I what? I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said."
Darcy laughed. "I said you look like you could kill a man a thousand different ways with your bare hands. That's more than this old rust-bucket can say." He kicked the side of the ship.

Ed squinted. "What, you mean this warship can't kill people?"

Darcy crossed his arms and replied, "Her auto-pilot's wonky and auto-targeting's terrible. If she's a warship, then I'm a millionaire. Nah, she's a civvie through and through. The only thing she's got going for her is her durability, which I only found out because of her wonky auto-pilot. Frankly, this rust-bucket's gotten me into more scrapes than I can count, so you have no idea how happy I am to have someone who's even remotely good at piloting."

Ed could have sworn he felt a rumble somewhere deep in the belly of the ship. "Then I guess it's a good thing we have someone who, as you so aptly put it, could kill a man a thousand different ways with her bare hands," he retorted as he flashed Sofie a wink and resumed fishing for the User Manual.

He finally located it beneath a pile of unpaid bills and opened it. Ed motioned Sofie over to read it with him.

Ed was struggling to read the manual, so Captain Darcy strode over to show them the ropes. "Okay, so here's the deal. Most ships need about six bridge crew; captain, helm, weapons, engineering, science, and communications. But this here is Warp Fighter; she ain't got time for six people shuffling around her decks. So the controls here are designed to minimize the amount of work you gotta do."

"I'm the captain, so I get my own chair behind you two. I also handle comms. I'll show you how that works once you've got the hang of things. Now, the piloting controls are gonna look a little familiar. The right stick lets you pitch, roll, and yaw. The left stick, the throttle, lets you thrust and reverse. The thumbstick on the throttle lets you thrust in other directions, like sideways or vertically. Handy little bugger. The trigger still fires the particle cannons, but mind you, it takes forever to charge those babies on a fusion reactor, and they still pack a hog-whallop, so don't go blasting away at things like some hotshot. We're a cargo ship, not a fighter."

"Situated in between your two seats is the interactive holographic star map. It responds to motion controls, so you can touch and swipe to see where you wanna go. Poke at a star to blow it up and see what the other planets are, and poke the star again to go back to the galaxy map. The little button at the base lets you switch to the 3D radar. Poke at any of the objects on the radar to see a detailed wireframe rendering of them, along with details like their make and model, class, speed, and direction."

"Touchscreens for both pilots let you guys manage whatever you want. You can bring up controls and displays for the weapons, shields, damage reports, fuel and energy levels, autopilot options, planetary maps, and whatnot. Or you could just use your voice. This ship's got audio-visual ports in all kinds of places, so she can hear your commands and see your gestures. I prefer that over touchy-feely stuff anyway. Don't ask her to do anything too broad or complicated, though, 'cuz she's not that smart."

"Any questions, kids?"

"I said you look like you could kill a man a thousand different ways with your bare hands. That's more than this old rust-bucket can say."
Sofie decided to stay silent for that. She had caught on that it was meant as a joke but it still made her extra wary of the captain.

Everything he said as he explained the ship's controls, pointing and poking on different surfaces made her feel at ease. This was her captain and she was receiving her orders for the first time. She could do anything with the information he gave her, choosing her own path across the sky. Sofie hugged herself in excitement and almost instantly straightened up. This was serious work and she was anxious of putting her knowledge to the test.

"Any questions, kids?" The captain cocked his head at them, grinning devilishly in the bright artificial light raining down upon him. Sofie sensed there was something not quite right about him but she brushed the thought off. There was no time to rely on her gut instincts when she was finally being handed something that she had wanted for so long.